Matthew 9

A Paralyzed Man Healed

1Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee and came to 1His own city.

22And they brought to Him a 3paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man who was paralyzed, “4Take courage, 5son; 6your sins are forgiven.” 3And some of the scribes said 7to themselves, “This man is 8blaspheming!” 4And Jesus, 9perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5For which is easier, to say, ‘10Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6But so that you may know that 11the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”--then He said to the 12paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.” 7And he got up and 13went home. 8But when the crowds saw this, they were 14awestruck, and they 15glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Matthew Called

916As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called 17Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s office; and He said to him, “18Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

10Then it happened that as 19Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and 20sinners came and began dining with Jesus and His disciples. 11And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “21Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” 12But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not 22those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 13Now go and learn 2324what this means: ‘25I desire 26compassion, 27rather than sacrifice,’ for 28I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The Question about Fasting

14Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and 29the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 15And Jesus said to them, “The 30attendants of the groom cannot mourn as long as the groom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for 31the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. 17Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Miracles of Healing

1832While He was saying these things to them, behold, 33a synagogue 34official came and 3536bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will become alive again.” 19Jesus got up from the table and began to accompany him, along with His disciples.

20And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him, and touched 37the 38border of His 39cloak; 21for she was 40saying 41to herself, “If I only 42touch His cloak, I will 43get well.” 22But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, “Daughter, 44take courage; 45your faith has 46made you well.” And 47at once the woman was 48made well.

23When Jesus came into the 49official’s house and saw 50the flute players and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24He said, “Leave; for the girl 51has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him. 25But 52when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and 53took her by the hand, and the girl 54got up. 26And 55this news spread throughout that land.

27As Jesus went on from there, two men who were blind followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, 56Son of David!” 28And after He entered the house, the men who were blind came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29Then He touched their eyes, saying, “57It shall be done for you 58according to your faith.” 30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus 59sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows about this!” 31But they went out and 60spread the news about Him throughout that land.

32And as they were going out, behold, 61a 62demon-possessed man who was unable to speak 63was brought to Him. 33And after the demon was cast out, the man who was previously unable to speak talked; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “64Nothing like this has ever 65been seen in Israel.” 34But the Pharisees were saying, “He 66casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”

35Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, 67teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.

3668Seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, 69because they were 70distressed and downcast, like sheep 71without a shepherd. 37Then He said to His disciples, “72The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”